Curious what our team does in the winter months? Here are some tasks we complete.
When winter blankets Minnesota in snow and ice, many homeowners assume their landscaping contractors simply pack it up until spring. The truth? Professional landscapers like Minnesota Landscapes are busier than ever during the cold months—just not in the ways you might expect. While the ground may be frozen solid and outdoor installations on pause, winter represents a critical season for planning, preparation, and specialized services that set the stage for stunning spring transformations.
One of the most important activities professional landscapers undertake during Minnesota winters is pruning dormant deciduous trees. Mid-late winter (January through March) represents the optimal window for this essential maintenance task. When trees enter dormancy, their energy retreats into the root system, making it the ideal time to remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches without stressing the tree.
Winter pruning offers several advantages that Minnesota homeowners should understand. With leaves absent, arborists can clearly see the tree's structure, identifying problematic branches, weak crotches, and potential hazards. The frozen ground minimizes soil compaction from equipment, protecting your landscape's health. Additionally, winter conditions prevent the spread of certain diseases and pests that thrive during warmer months.
Minnesota Landscapes' ISA Certified Arborists perform strategic winter pruning throughout the Twin Cities, from White Bear Lake to Eden Prairie. This specialized service focuses on improving tree structure, removing hazards, managing weight distribution to prevent winter storm damage, and enhancing the tree's overall form and health.
While installation work pauses during Minnesota's harsh winter months, professional landscape designers are hard at work creating the comprehensive plans that will transform properties come spring. This is when Minnesota Landscapes' design team, led by professionals like Patrick Erkens who has specialized in landscape design since 2009, dedicates focused time to thoughtful, detailed project development.
Winter design work includes comprehensive site analysis—studying how sunlight patterns will shift through the seasons, analyzing drainage patterns revealed by snowmelt, assessing how existing elements function in harsh weather, and documenting challenges that only appear during winter months. The team creates detailed installation plans with precise material selections, plant choices specifically suited to Minnesota's climate zones, hardscape layouts considering frost heave and drainage, and lighting designs accounting for long winter nights.
This design-first approach distinguishes Minnesota Landscapes from competitors who rush projects without proper planning. By dedicating winter months to meticulous design work, the team ensures every spring installation is thoughtfully considered, properly planned, and ready to execute flawlessly when the ground thaws.
Professional landscapers use Minnesota's winter months to pursue advanced certifications and continuing education—commitments that directly benefit their clients. Minnesota Landscapes' team maintains industry-leading credentials including ISA Certified Arborists, ICPI certification for paver installation, and PLT certification for landscape technology.
Winter is also when landscape professionals pursue specialized lighting certifications from organizations like the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals (AOLP), Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), and International Landscape Lighting Institute (ILLI). These certifications ensure that exterior lighting services meet the highest standards for design, installation, and energy efficiency.
This commitment to ongoing education means that when you work with Minnesota Landscapes, you're benefiting from the latest industry best practices, advanced design techniques, updated plant knowledge specific to Minnesota's evolving climate, and cutting-edge installation methods that ensure long-lasting results.
Winter months coincide with major landscaping industry trade shows and conferences where professionals gather to explore new products, learn advanced techniques, and network with industry leaders. Minnesota Landscapes' team attends these events to stay at the forefront of landscape design and technology.
These gatherings provide exposure to emerging plant varieties better suited to Minnesota's challenging climate, innovative hardscape materials and installation systems, advanced lighting technologies and smart control systems, sustainable landscaping practices and eco-friendly products, and new equipment that improves installation quality and efficiency.
The knowledge gained at these winter events directly translates to better outcomes for clients. When spring arrives, Minnesota Landscapes can offer the latest innovations in patio design, hardscaping materials, and outdoor living solutions.
Behind every flawless landscape installation is well-maintained equipment, and winter is when professional contractors perform comprehensive maintenance. Minnesota Landscapes dedicates significant winter hours to equipment care, ensuring everything is ready for the demanding spring and summer seasons.
Winter equipment maintenance includes engine overhauls and tune-ups, blade sharpening and replacement, hydraulic system inspections, safety system checks, and complete cleaning and rust prevention. This attention to equipment maintenance means projects start on time when spring arrives, installations proceed smoothly without mechanical delays, and equipment operates safely and efficiently.
Winter is also prime time for project management and spring scheduling. Professional landscapers like Minnesota Landscapes begin coordinating the upcoming season's projects, scheduling installations, ordering materials, and organizing crews to ensure a seamless transition when spring arrives.
This winter planning includes reviewing and confirming spring project schedules, ordering specialty materials that require long lead times, coordinating with suppliers to ensure material availability, developing detailed installation timelines for each project, and allocating crew resources to balance efficiency with quality.
For homeowners planning landscape projects, this winter activity has important implications: quality contractors book their spring schedules during winter months, popular installation windows fill up quickly, early planning ensures preferred project timelines, and winter consultations allow for thorough, unhurried design development.
Understanding what professional landscapers do during winter reveals why planning your landscape project now makes strategic sense. When you contact Minnesota Landscapes during the winter months, you're accessing their team during their dedicated design and planning season. You'll receive thoughtful attention to your project's details, comprehensive design development without the spring rush, confirmed scheduling for your preferred installation timeline, and the benefit of a team that's sharpened their skills through winter education.
Minnesota's brief growing season makes timing critical. Projects designed in winter can begin installation as soon as the ground thaws, allowing plantings to establish strong root systems before summer heat arrives. This head start dramatically improves plant establishment and long-term landscape success.
While Minnesota winters may seem quiet on the surface, professional landscapers are anything but idle. From winter pruning to design development, from continuing education to meticulous equipment maintenance, the winter months represent a critical season of preparation that makes spring magic possible.
Minnesota Landscapes has been transforming Twin Cities properties since 1996, serving communities from Woodbury to Shoreview, from Apple Valley to Edina. Our design-first approach, combined with expert credentials and a commitment to continuing education, ensures your landscape project receives the attention and expertise it deserves.
Don't wait until spring to start planning your landscape transformation. Contact Minnesota Landscapes today at 651-457-0000 or info@minnesotalandscapes.com to schedule your winter design consultation. Let's use these quiet months to create something extraordinary that will come to life when spring arrives.
